The Mech Touch novel Chapter 902

Ves initially worried about the dangers of entering the belly of the beast. His forged proof of identity left plenty of questionable points.

Now, he realized he underestimated his value. Even if his fictitious background sounded implausible, the virtual officers never questioned it! Instead, like bots, they exhibited the capacity to miss the obvious no matter how glaring the faults.

Like every virtual officer, Virtual Commander Cosit only cared about fulfilling his duties to the best of his ability. However, Cosit and the other AIs under her command were still bound to the restrictions imposed on them. Their inherent flaws and lack of creativity prevented them from being able to circumvent these restrictions during all this time.

They were stuck!

Rather than regarding them as officers, it might be more appropriate for Ves to see them as prisoners who gained partial control over their own prison. As a human, Ves possessed an incredible amount of value as the internal systems of the Starlight Megalodon imposed much less restrictions.

[Humans are the true backbone of the Starlight Megalodon.] Virtual Commander Cosit emphasized. [You are the original owners of our great battleship. However, there’s still a long way to go. As a lowly ensign and Junior Apprentice Mech Designer, your authority is exceedingly limited. Nonetheless, you’re the only human I have, so the burden of finishing the research projects falls upon your shoulders.]

Ves frowned at that. "There aren’t any virtual mech designers under your command, ma’am?"

[Unfortunately, mech designers are too new, Mr. Longhorn. The complexity surrounding this profession and our relative unfamiliarity with mechs has prevented us from employing a virtual mech designer. Even if we could, there wouldn’t be any point as all of our virtual researchers are bound from performing most research functions. I predict that you’ll be very popular in our department, as you are the only human available that can do what our virtual researchers are forbidden from doing.]

He gleamed at that. "Does that mean you can put me in charge of all the research projects, commander? None of your virtual researchers are able to exercise their duties. Why not pass on those responsibilities under my name?"

[It’s not that simple.] Cosit shook her head. [While it isn’t unheard of for junior officers to take on the responsibilities of a senior officer during emergencies when the latter is unavailable or incapacitated, that doesn’t apply the Research Department. We perform many classified, top secret research projects, many of which are highly sensitive in nature. At the moment, you are just a lowly ensign with a correspondingly low security clearance. You are only eligible to participate in a small number of low-priority research projects, and your autonomy there is limited.]

"I understand, ma’am." Ves replied.

He expected something like this. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a newcomer in the organization to obtain complete control in the Research Department. The Starlight Megalodon still abided by the strict hierarchy to the point where even AIs started to take their ranks seriously.

[For now, I’m not allowed to tell you the full scope of what we do here at the Research Department. We perform many classified research projects that are extremely shocking and can damage the CFA’s standing if exposed. Do not approach any laboratories, sections or compartments you are not cleared to enter. Your CFA comm will warn you where you can and cannot go. If you force your way in, the entire ship will turn against you. Is that clear, Mr. Longhorn?]

"Crystal, ma’am."

Virtual Commander Cosit smiled at him. [I have learned that humans like you are naturally curious and rebellious by nature, but please restrain your biological impulses. We have already lived through one period of chaos caused by human hubris. We do not want to experience such anarchy again.]

"That sounds remarkably self-aware of you, commander." Ves remarked.

If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Cosit was a sentient AI. Yet he knew that was impossible because humanity had been chasing after this unicorn since the Age of Stars.

Thousands of years went by as humanity continued to develop more sophisticated and human-like AIs. Yet while AI researchers created increasingly more convincing fakes, they never managed to develop a true sentient AI that possessed the capacity to appreciate art or felt irrational emotions such as love or hate.

Underneath their emotional masks, Every AI was a stone-cold machine who abided by pure logic. Virtual Commander Cosit was no exception even if she imitated a human a thousand times better than Virtual Lieutenant Baskanson.

[Let us not go into the matters of the past.] Cosit shook her head. She waved a new projection into being. It consisted of a list of research projects that Ves possessed sufficient clearance to know. [It is time to put your human abilities to work.]

"That’s a lot of research projects, ma’am." Ves said as he noted hundreds of entries under different categories. These were just the lower-level research projects of lesser importance!

[The research projects of our Research Departments are divided into many sub-departments. The Mech Research Sub-Department is jointly managed by the Research Department and the Mech Department, though in practice the latter has little say in how we perform our research. Most of their meddling comes in the form of demanding new toys for them to play with. As a Junior Apprentice Mech Designer, you cannot neglect your duties to the Mech Department, though. Please check your schedule to see when you have to report to the Mech Department.]

Ves did so and found out that he wouldn’t be free to run around except during his off-time. Most of the time, the schedule obligated him to contribute to the research projects. Only some shifts forced him to go down to the Mech Department and provide unspecified assistance.

As a supposed commissioned officer of the CFA, Ves wasn’t allowed to be absent without leave. Any tardiness or insubordination on his end might lead to severe punishment! Even if the virtual officers valued humans immensely, they couldn’t act outside their obligations.

Once Ves scanned the list, Virtual Commander Cody pointed his finger at three seemingly-random research projects.

Ves perked up at the mention of merit. "What is the use of merit, ma’am?" _{ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com}